What are making charges in Indian jewellery?

Making charges (also called labour charges or wastage charges) are the fee a jeweller charges for converting raw gold into jewellery. They cover the karigar's (artisan's) labour, the jeweller's overhead and profit on the manufacturing process. In India they are typically quoted as either a percentage of the gold value (8-25% for machine-made pieces, 15-35% for handcrafted or intricate pieces) or as a fixed per-gram amount (typically ₹500–₹2,500 per gram depending on piece complexity). GST at 3% applies on making charges in addition to on gold value.

Are making charges the same as wastage charges?

These terms are used interchangeably by most jewellers but technically refer to slightly different things. Making charges refer to the labour cost of converting gold into jewellery. Wastage (or kasar) historically referred to gold lost during the manufacturing process — in handcrafted pieces, small amounts of gold are lost to filing, polishing and soldering. Many jewellers bundle these into a single 'making charges' line on the bill. Some jewellers, particularly those using traditional handcrafting methods, list them separately. For the buyer, the total matters — ask for the all-in making charges as a percentage of gold weight value.

What is a reasonable making charge for common jewellery pieces in India?

Rough benchmarks for 2026: Plain machine-made gold chains and bangles: 8-12%. Lightweight filigree or daily-wear rings: 10-15%. Medium-complexity necklaces and earrings: 12-18%. Bridal necklace sets with stone setting: 18-25%. Handcrafted Meenakari, Polki, Kundan or antique pieces: 20-35%. Temple jewellery with intricate work: 20-30%. If a jeweller quotes substantially above these ranges for a piece you can describe, it is worth asking for the basis.

Do large jewellery chains (Tanishq, Malabar) negotiate on making charges?

Large branded chains have less flexibility on making charges during normal periods — their pricing is typically fixed at the design level. However, they run structured festive promotions (Akshaya Tritiya, Dhanteras, wedding season — typically October-January) where making charges are waived or discounted 10-30% across categories. These promotions are announced in advance and are open to all customers. If you are buying from a branded chain, your best negotiation strategy is timing — plan large purchases around these promotion windows. For high-value bridal purchases, some chains will also work with the family on making charges as a relationship gesture, particularly repeat customers.

Can I ask to see the karigar rate card at a jewellery shop?

You can ask, and some jewellers will show it — particularly for custom orders where the making charges are specific to the piece design and the karigar assigned. Most retail jewellers set making charges at a store level rather than per-karigar. The more useful question is: 'What is the making charge as a percentage of gold value for this specific piece, and what is the minimum making charge you offer for this category?' This gives you an apples-to-apples basis for comparing across jewellers for the same piece type.

How to Negotiate Making Charges at Jewellery Shops in India (2026)

If you have ever walked out of a jewellery shop feeling like you paid too much — the making charges are likely where the money went. The gold rate is public knowledge and tracked minute by minute. Making charges are where the jeweller has pricing discretion. In India, making charges range from as low as 8% on machine-made plain chains to as high as 35% on heavily handcrafted bridal pieces — and in most shops, for most pieces, they are at least partially negotiable. Here is exactly how to do it.

Understanding making charges: the basics

Making charges compensate the jeweller for converting raw gold (bullion) into finished jewellery. They cover:

Karigar labour: The artisan's wages, typically for handcrafted or semi-handcrafted pieces
Machine cost amortisation: For machine-made chains and bangles, equipment and die costs
Overhead: Showroom, insurance, pilferage provision
Jeweller margin: Profit on the manufacturing component (separate from margin on gold)

Crucially: the gold cost portion of your bill (weight × today's IBJA rate) is non-negotiable. The IBJA rate is a public benchmark that honest jewellers follow. What you negotiate is making charges — and sometimes stone setting charges for studded pieces.

For reference, always check the current 22K IBJA rate before entering a shop. Our gold rate page shows today's rate by city.

The benchmark ranges: know before you walk in

Knowing what making charges should be for a given piece type is your most powerful negotiating tool. If a jeweller quotes 25% making charges for a plain machine-made bangle that should attract 10%, you can challenge that number with confidence.

Piece Type	Typical Making Charge Range
Plain machine-made chains (curb, singapore, box)	8–12%
Plain machine-made bangles (round, flat)	8–12%
Basic daily-wear rings	10–14%
Standard earrings (drops, studs)	12–16%
Medium complexity necklaces	14–20%
South Indian temple jewellery (medium)	18–25%
Bridal necklace + earring sets (stone-set)	18–28%
Handcrafted Polki / Kundan pieces	22–35%
Meenakari / filigree antique work	20–35%

When making charges are most negotiable

Three situations where you have the most leverage:

1. Festive sales windows

The best time to buy jewellery in India from a making charges perspective is during formal festive promotions. Major windows in 2026:

Akshaya Tritiya (April–May): Many chains waive making charges on certain categories or offer 20–30% discounts. This is the single best window of the year for gold jewellery purchase by value.
Dhanteras / Diwali (October–November): Second major window. Making charge discounts of 10–25% across most categories at national chains.
Wedding season promotions (October–January): Targeted offers for bridal sets — some chains offer fixed making charges on bridal packages regardless of design complexity.
Anniversary sales: Individual jewellers run their own anniversary sales. Follow your preferred jeweller's social media to catch these.

2. Large purchases (wedding / family sets)

For any purchase above ₹1 lakh, you have meaningful leverage. The larger the purchase, the more a jeweller will move on making charges to close the sale. For bridal sets (typically ₹3–₹15 lakh total), a 3–5% reduction in making charges saves ₹9,000–₹75,000 — absolutely worth asking for.

3. Repeat customer or known referral

Jewellery in India is a relationship business. Returning to a jeweller where your family has shopped before, or arriving via a referral from an existing customer, gives you implicit social proof that often translates into better terms.

The negotiation script: what to actually say

Most Indians are uncomfortable negotiating at a branded jewellery shop. Here are exact phrases that work without being confrontational:

Opening: "I really like this piece. Before I decide, can you tell me the making charges as a percentage? And is that the best rate you can offer for this category?"

This is not aggressive — you are simply asking for information that should be disclosed anyway. A good jeweller will answer directly. If they say making charges are fixed, you can say:

Comparison move: "I checked a couple of other shops this morning and they quoted [X]% for a similar piece. Is there any flexibility here, especially given [we're buying multiple pieces / this is for a wedding / we've been customers here before]?"

Volume move (for multiple pieces): "We are looking at 3–4 pieces today — the necklace, the earrings and the bangles. If we're buying all four pieces, what making charge can you offer across the set?"

Closing concession: "If you can bring it down to [target %], we'll confirm today. We're ready to pay."

The word "today" matters — jewellers respond to certainty of sale.

Comparing total price correctly (not per-gram)

The biggest mistake buyers make is comparing across jewellers on per-gram gold rate alone. Two jewellers can charge the same per-gram gold rate but very different effective total prices due to making charge differences.

Always compare on total bill amount for the same piece weight:

Jeweller A: ₹9,200/gram × 10 grams + 12% making charges + 3% GST = ₹1,06,947
Jeweller B: ₹9,200/gram × 10 grams + 18% making charges + 3% GST = ₹1,13,826

Jeweller B is ₹6,879 more expensive for the same 10-gram piece, purely on making charges. For a 50-gram bridal set, that difference becomes ₹34,395.

Always ask: "Can you show me the breakdown — gold weight, gold rate, making charges percentage, and GST?" Any BIS-registered jeweller must provide this on the invoice. If they won't show the breakdown, walk out.

When making charges are NOT negotiable (and what to do)

For bespoke / custom-designed pieces commissioned from a master karigar, making charges reflect actual labour costs and are genuinely harder to negotiate. In this case:

Ask to see the karigar's rate card or the making charge basis (per-gram or percentage)
Negotiate the design complexity — a slightly simpler version of the design you want may attract materially lower charges
Time the commission so the karigar's rate applies at festive season tariffs where available

The total cost checklist

Before finalising any jewellery purchase:

Confirm today's IBJA 22K rate (or 18K, or 916 — whichever applies). Our live gold rate page shows the current IBJA benchmark.
Ask for making charges as a percentage explicitly — not buried in a total figure.
Ask if there is any ongoing promotion or if making charges can be reduced for your purchase.
Check the HUID hallmark on the piece before paying — especially for complex pieces where you are paying a premium for craftsmanship.
Get a proper GST invoice showing: piece weight, purity, HUID, gold rate applied, making charges, stone charges (if any) and GST amount separately.
For purchases above ₹2 lakh in cash, provide PAN card — required under PMLA.

For context on the full gold price calculation formula used in India, see our gold price calculation guide. To understand what making charges mean for resale (higher making charges reduce effective selling price when you sell later), see our sell old gold guide. To find BIS-registered jewellers in your area, browse our India-wide jeweller directory.

For authoritative information on BIS standards and the hallmarking system that guarantees gold purity independent of making charges, see bis.gov.in. For the current IBJA gold rate (the benchmark for all Indian gold purchases), see ibjarates.com.